Christmas Day 2011

Do you ever want to remember one particular day forever?  All of the details so later whenever you wish, you can relive the nostalgia?  That is exactly how I felt about today.  I wanted to be able to look back and recall every moment of our time spent together today so I can remember it forever.

This is your warning that this might not be my most well composed, humorous or witty blog.  Heck, you might not think any of them are well composed, humorous or witty but apparently I do.  I like to think so anyway.  This is the story of our Christmas Day 2011 from morning until night.

It was just before midnight when Jason and I hung the last of the stockings up in anticipation for the big guy.  Our last task was to make a crepe paper gate so that no littles got downstairs before we did.  In the past, it has been well into the 4-5am hour when the joyous news of his deliveries was upon us.  We had discussed with Jackson the "sun coming up" thing previously and this year he obeyed.  It was around 7am when he came and got right in my face to tell me Santa had came and it was time to go downstairs.  I happily awoke from possibly one of the best sleeps I've had in quite a few months!  Jason got Lincoln up and I assembled the camera for the chaos.
As we approached the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner the squeals of joy were apparent.  Lincoln said "Oh, whoa" and "It's Thomas!" While Jackson was thrilled over his new footie pajamas that he'd been wanting.  Lincoln was most interested in his stocking which subsequently held candy.  The only thing he asked Santa for Christmas.  Jackson proceeded to open his gifts and finally got around to his coveted Leapad that *Santa* had thankfully pre-ordered in November before they became extinct for the season.
I opened my new special edition perfume (Viva La Juicy) and I really loved how Jason proceeded to tell me what the salesperson insisted I know.  It is a special edition rare, less alcohol, higher concentrate bottle of perfume like they make in France.  I stopped him before he got too tongue twisted explaining to him that I was aware of the special edition bottle, I know my perfume!  I was also gifted with some cold weather running gear that I had been asking for.
Jason got a "daddy purse" as the boys proclaimed.  Yes, he got a nice leather briefcase style bag for his new job at Exxon this summer.  He'll be living downtown and walking to work.  This way he can carry his lunch with him too. (ha, what man actually makes and carries his lunch?)  Jason also got a new jacket and in his stocking he found a surprise.  I purchased us the Head and Heart tickets for March.  It's a long way out but he was really wanting to go and I was happy to be able to afford concert tickets for once.
After the boys finished oooohing over their stocking stuffers, I got to work on the electronic set-up.  I was busy  downloading the software for his new leapad while also cooking quite the breakfast spread.  The coffee was ready upon wake-up and the cinnamon rolls were a-rising.  Yes, the beloved PW cinnamon rolls.
There is nothing better.
I also made sausage balls and an egg and chili puff casserole.  It must have been pretty good because even my egg hater kids ate it.  We (and I mean Jason and I) celebrated Christmas morning with mimosas!  I love the bubbly mixed with the fresh taste of high calorie OJ.  I love to drink it for special occasions.  It makes it feel different from any other day and it should be!
Back to the electronics, I had a mini meltdown about it not downloading correctly.  It might have not been so mini.  Ask Jason.  I have a serious problem when it comes to electronics.  I can throw a fit in a second if they do not work correctly.  I have no patience and loose all sense of reason.  It is a serious flaw.  I should work on it.  Instead, I loaded and reloaded the silly Leapad until finally after doing nothing differently, it started doing what I demanded.  See, persistence paid off.  Jackson took it from me and continued to play with it the rest of the day.
Lincoln was due a nap and Jason and I had our sights set on one too.  Jackson settled in to watch Cars 2 while we napped.  It was short, the day was too beautiful to nap.  I got up and picked up the mess of the chaos.  I also started our Christmas dinner.  We were having a standing rib roast.  His parents have done this tradition before but we never have.  We were a little intimidated but after checking them out a publix we decided to give it a go.  I salt crusted it and placed it in the oven.
When Lincoln woke up, it was time to get outdoors for a few minutes.  We took a little family stroll down to the Harpeth River in the back of the neighborhood.  The water was pretty high and Jackson immediately noticed how much of the rock we normally stand on was underwater.  We threw rocks in, stomped in puddles and had a little silly string fight.  Lincoln didn't disappoint us with a constant whine all the way back home.  You can always count on him!
Jason cleared out the living room while I prepared the rest of our fancy Christmas Dinner.  I did chuckle at the fact that it is only us and I made quite a feast.  Most of which only Jason and I could possible appreciate.  Along with our Rosemary-Horseradish Crusted Rib Roast served with a blue cheese chipotle sauce, we also had PW green bean casserole, Creamy cheese grits with chilies, and wilted spinach with garlic.  I would like for it to be known that no cream soups were harmed in the making of my green bean casserole.  No cans were opened and no gelatinous masses were added in its creation.  It is the BEST homemade green bean casserole out there (well, in my opinion).
After dinner, Jason and Jackson played Toy Story for Wii while Lincoln looked on and pretended to play.
(pause for funny story)  
This week Jackson told my dad he hoped he would get an Xbox for Christmas and Dad said "why do you want one of those, you already have a Y."  Jackson corrected his mistake saying "Pawpaw, it's a Wii not a Y!
Jackson donned his new footie pajamas and we settled in to read books.  I read You are Special by Max Lucado. Great book, btw.  Amazing way to represent God's love for us in a way children can understand and remember.  Then we read the birth of Jesus in their children's Bible.  We ended it with old faithful, Goodnight Moon.  I am amazed at how they never ever tire of that silly book.  It's still going strong for nearly 5 years.
This was our second year to spend Christmas alone as a family of four. I think I'm starting to like it!  I like making our own traditions and look forward to repeating them for years to come.  I'm sure there will eventually come a day that Goodnight moon is not requested but until then, I'll keep reading it and finding that silly little mouse eating mush and love every minute of it.
Merry Christmas from the deFoor family.  I hope yours was equally as full of traditions and memories made.

Santa put up a gate to ensure nobody got a sneak peak!

Lucky boy!  There are those amazing footie pajamas.  How funny is he?

He's going to be a Soccer player.  I guess that means I'll be a  soccer mom.

There it is, the highly sought after Leapad!

And Toy Story for the Y, or the Wii.

Jason got Jackson a Harry Potter want in Orlando last month.  Daddy was explaining how "this is a collectible, not a toy" but you could have fooled me!

Lincoln's version of his wand.  It was  a set of wooden spoons that Santa thought might come in handy if any fights over toys might have occurred.  He's a Smart guy/girl because they did happen to come in handy a few times throughout the day.

Thankful for him and his Lego construction ability!